Are you overlooking the best source of business--your existing
customers? Marketing to current customers costs less than targeting
new ones and pays off better, too.

Just ask Nancy Michaels. The owner of marketing communications
firm Impression Impact in Concord, Massachusetts, and the author
and publisher of audiotape "How to Be a Big Fish in Any Pond:
Memorable Strategies for Microbusiness and Entrepreneurs,"
reveals how she keeps clients coming back for more.

1. Position yourself as an invaluable resource. Alert
customers to seminars or magazine articles they might find
relevant. And whenever you think of a way to save clients money or
enhance their productivity, let them know. "You're making
them feel they can't do without you," says Michaels.

2. Give something for free. "It's good for
clients to know you're not charging them for everything you
do," says Michaels. Offer a free service or a discount coupon
as a reward for continued business.

3. Provide clients with referrals. "If you're
doing business with a company," Michaels stresses, "you
ought to be referring people to them." People always
appreciate new leads, and giving referrals conveys your value to
customers in a tangible way.

4. Make your clients stars. With their permission, why
not hang your customers' photos in your place of business? Or
do what Michaels does: Feature clients in your company's
newsletter.

5. Maintain visibility through writing. If you don't
already send a company newsletter to clients, consider doing so. Or
offer to write articles in industry publications your clients
read.

6. See and be seen. "People like to do business with
people they think are confident, capable and have excellent
reputations," says Michaels. "Make an effort to maintain
that image."

7. Don't hard-sell. "If a client feels
you're only trying to get more out of them to make a sale, and
you're not really coming to them with solutions or ideas, that
leaves a sour taste in their mouths," says Michaels.

8. Lend your expertise. If a client has an informal panel
of advisors, offer to join. "One of the [problems] for people
who work independently or have small businesses is they don't
have enough people to use as sounding boards," explains
Michaels.

9. Offer promotions at unusual times. Instead of offering
special deals at Christmas, why not commemorate a less celebrated
holiday such as Labor Day or St. Patrick's Day? Or, for a
personal touch, remember your clients' birthdays.

10. Expand your services or product line. "As you
become more familiar with your clients' needs," says
Michaels, "you can begin to incorporate some of those
[products or services] into your business so they don't have to
go elsewhere."